on the left side of your screen, the obama victory party in chicago. on the right, the scene outside the gates of the white house. a night of celebration for democrats as a fiercely competitive race to lead the country for the next four years reaches the finish line, perhaps sooner than either side expected. good morning, everyone, i'm lynn berry. you are waking up this morning so barack obama being re-elected as president. and just as many thought, it all came down to just one swing state, ohio. the front page of this morning's

inquirer reads "obama." president obama clinched the 270 electoral votes needed to defeat former massachusetts governor mitt romney. now despite a bitter campaign between the two, mr. romney offered a concession and kind words as he accepted the results. >> i have just called president obama to congratulate him on his victory. his supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. i wish all of them well, but particularly the president, the first lady, and their daughters. this is a time of great challenges for america, and i pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation. >> and then it was the president's turn. he and his family walked out on stage early this morning to cries of four more years. >> tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the

right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward. tonight in this election you, the american people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the united states of america, the best is yet to come. >> and we're going to hear more from both men in just a few moments. but first nbc's kristen welker is at obama headquarters in chicago. a long-fought battle for the president? >> reporter: absolutely, lynn. the crowd was electrified when president obama walked out onto the stage behind me. of course, when president obama

delivered his victory speech, in that speech he talked about meeting with mitt romney and also talked about reaching across the aisle to work with republicans on pressing issues including deficit reduction, immigration reform and, of course, jobs, lynn. that was the number one issue for voters during this election cycle. almost cost president obama his re-election. he essentially said during his speech last night that he got the message loud and clear. there were also some personal noemts to his speech. he told the crowd publicly how much he loves his wife, how proud he is of his daughters. also said that they will not be getting a dog this year. lynn, the first family is staying here in chicago. they are heading home a little later on today. lynn? >> one dog will do. that was nbc's kristen welker. now to governor romney, the man who out lasted every other republican challenger but in the end could not defeat this sitting president. chris jansing is in boston this morning. good morning to you.

>> reporter: good morning, lynn. nearly seven years after it began, mitt romney's quest for the presidency ended in this ballroom with a gracious speech. in the end he won 24 states, but only one of those battleground states we've been talking about so much over the last several months, north carolina. he had begun the day believing that he could and would win the presidency. in fact, his strategists were saying they were ex-eiding expectations in many of those key states. after a very ak cone yous long campaign he called in the end for unity. >> at a time like this we can't risk partisan bickering and political posturing, our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people's work. we citizens have to rise to the occasion. >> reporter: he is, we presume, sound asleep after this long campaign. just a couple of blocks from here at a hotel that ask attached to this conference center. i guess they were even too tired to make their weigh ten miles

home to belmont, massachusetts. his plans next, yet to be decided. >> a long campaign. chris jansing, thanks so much. this morning democrats are celebrating president obama eats re-election and their victory in maintaining controlling of the senate. that is thanks to a series of razor close wins. nbc's capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell has been following that for us. she joins us live from columbus, ohio, with the details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lynn. democrats have a lot to celebrate beyond the president eefs re-election. they will hold control of the senate and key to that were important races that got a lot of attention this year. in massachusetts, elizabeth warren is now senator elect, defeating scott brown, the republican, who only a couple of years ago had been the first of the tea party wave that was able to take on a seat long held by ted kennedy, a big change there, pickup for democrats. in indiana, a red, red state,

instead of expecting that to go republican, it was, in fact, a republican mistake, if you will where joe donnelly, now the democrat is taking that seat after richard mourdock had made comments about rape and pregnancy that got a lot of attention. similar scenario happened in missouri, another red state that republicans had hoped to take back, but todd akin made comments that angered voters through the year. claire mccaskill, a democrat goes back for her second term. there will be more women than we've ever seen serving with 19. republicans did have one place at least where they did pick up a seat. that is in nebraska with a retirement among democrats there and now deb fisher will be the new senator from nebraska. there's a big change. but what doesn't change is that republicans will control the house. democrats in charge of the senate and the white house and a lot of work to do. lynn? >> so that begins. kelly o'donnell for us this morning.

nbc meteorologist bill karins is live for us in democracy plaza where all the excitement happened last night. good morning to you. >> good morning to you, lynn. it was packed in here last night as the big announcement was made. with the big nor'easter it cleared out in a hurry as the winds picked up. it's a very windy morning throughout this region. the big concerns in this area are the areas devastated by sandy only a week ago. this storm is going to add insult to injury, more power outages, more beach erosion, more large waves crashing into homes. that's going to happen as we go throughout this afternoon and this evening. as far as the wind goes, they're already beginning to pick up, gusting now to new york city at 32. at the peak of the storm, we expect wind gusts anywhere from 50 to 70 miles per hour. that will be this afternoon into early this evening, especially over long island and coastal sections of new jersey. a lot of people just got their power back on. now we'll have additional power outages on top of that. we'll even get snow with this storm. some areas that haven't seen any snow. the snowfall amounts very impressive, especially northern

portions of delaware around the philadelphia area and especially new jersey. the same locations that had the devastation and you saw the destruction of their homes, now we're looking at getting a coating of a couple inches of snow on top of damaged property. not what anyone needed in this will het through the inner mountain west and northern rockies with a snowstorm in the days ahead. lynn, the west has enjoyed beautiful weather as of late. that all changes. a little flip of our weather pattern over the next couple days. >> we'll check back with you in just a little bit. coming up, the world reacts to the u.s. president election. plu it was finally the first night in over a year where the political ads and grandstanding finally ceased. the sight of winners basking in

victory with their friends. democracy at work. you're watching "early today." i was once used for small jobs. and i took on all the bigger, tougher ones. but with mr. clean's new select-a-size magic eraser, he can take on any size job. at least we don't go near rex's mobile home as often. what are you, scared? [ dog barks ] aah! oh! [ male announcer ] new mr. clean select-a-size magic eraser. [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy request soup lets you hear it... in your heart. [ basketball bouncing ] heart healthy. great taste. mmm...

[ male announcer ] sounds good. it's amazing what soup can do.

president obama's re-election hinged largely on how voters saw the economy moving forward. nbc's alex witt has interesting details on the exit polling. alex? >> well, the exit poll gives us a lot oichb site on how barack obama won his re-election. the weak economy was the critical issue but it didn't prevent the president from being re-elected. what is the question to that? we have one key right now that will explain a little bit of it. look who voters blame for the current economic situation. former president george w. bush, just 38% held president obama responsible. moving forward with some more information, optimism about the future direction of the economy,

that won out over people's negative feelings on how the economy is doing right now. look at that. 39% of the voters said the economy is getting better. another 29% say, you know, things are just about the same as they were before. however, 30% said the economy is getting worse. moving forward to those 39%, let's break it down a little further. they say the economy is getting better. a whopping 88% of those voting for president obama. another angle we want to look at. looking at it on a more personal level, one quarter of the voters said they're financially better off than they were four years ago. a third saying they're worse off. 41% say their situation is about the same. among those voters who said their financial situation was unchanged, look at this, the president took a solid majority right there with 58%. that is another indicator, lynn, they did not hold the president responsible for the country's economic troubles. reaction from around the

world to president obama's re-election victory is pouring in this morning. nbc's michelle kosinski is live in london. she's been following that. the parties went through the night there, michelle, right? >> reporter: that's right. surprisingly all night long. we saw it ourselves in london. now we see pictures coming in from around the world of people celebrating, saying they absolutely saw this election as vital to their own futures, especially as concerns the economy. also now we're hearing reaction from world leaders. russia saying it is willing to cooperate with the u.s. as far as washington is willing to go. israel offered muted congratulations. they had strongly supported romney. we're even hearing from the taliban in pakistan saying, you know what, obama and romney are pretty much the same enemy that we'll continue to fight. for obama, only hours after winning his next term, he's getting his first order of overseas business, at least courtesy of british prime

minister david cameron who in a tweet today called obama his friend. he was interviewed on the border with jordan and syria and said that they must do something now. he wants balk's help to assist the people of syria to save them from the slaughter he said is going on there, to put more pressure on the assad regime and to help the rebels. lynn? >> now the work begins. michelle, thanks so much. affirmative action. smoking marijuana for pleasure and defining marriage. how did the states vote? plus president obama's vision for america over the next four years and beyond in his own words. a big storm exiting the east coast is going to affect travel all the way across the country. also, a new storm in the northern rockies. your forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today." one. two. three. my credit card rewards are easy to remember. with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, i earn 1% cash back everywhere,

every time. [ both ] 2% back on groceries. [ all ] 3% on gas! no hoops to jump through. i earn more cash back on the things i buy most. [ woman in pet store ] it's as easy as... [ all ] one! -two. -[ all ] three! [ male announcer ] the bankamericard cash rewards credit card. apply online or at a bank of america near you. went home and fed her family. now she's helping her community. no wonder it's hard to focus on her own needs. but she's got one a day women's, a complete multivitamin with key nutrients women may need all in one pill. because our focus is you. woman: oh! tully's. how do you always have my favorite coffee? well, inside the brewer, there's a giant staircase. and the room is filled

with all these different kinds of coffee and even hot cocoa. and you'll always find your favorite. woman #2: with so many choices, keurig has everyone's favorite. i just press this button. brew what you love, simply. keurig.

so in addition to all the candidates, there were 176 initiatives on the ballot in 38 states around the country in this 2012 election. so this is how some of the more controversial ones turned out. measures legalizing same-sex marriage were voted on in three states. in the state of maine it was approved by a clear majority. voters in maryland also said yes to gay marriage with over 50% of the vote.

in washington state people also approved same-sex marriage, which was already legal in six states and the district of columbia. and in minnesota the voters rejected putting a ban on gay marriage in the state constitution. meanwhile, voters in colorado approved allowing adults to possess small amounts of marijuana under state regulation and taxation. in oregon people voted strongly against legalizing marijuana. while in washington state voters strongly approved the legal use of pot. to arkansas now where residents voted no to using marijuana for medical purposes, while in massachusetts medical marijuana use was okayed by an overwhelming margin. and marijuana use for medical patients was expanded in montana. and, finally, in oklahoma voters approved a measure that wipes out all affirmative action programs in state government hiring, education, and contracting practices. well, just ahead, bill is going to have another check of

your weather, and hear more from president obama and governor romney as their historic campaigns came to a close. you're watching "early today." so, what hap pens if i'm in an accident and need to get my car fixed? progressive makes it easy, because we give you choices. you can pick where to get your car fixed, we can cut you a check, or, at our service center, we take care of everything for you. [ relaxing music playing ] [ chuckles ] -whew, so many choices. -take your time. -the service center. -okay. giving you choices -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. [ female announcer ] pop in a whole new kind of clean. with tide pods. just one removes more stains than the 6 next leading pacs combined pop in. stand out. than the 6 next leading pacs combined ♪

atmix of energies.ve the world needs a broader that's why we're supplying natural gas to generate cleaner electricity... that has around 50% fewer co2 emissions than coal. and it's also why, with our partner in brazil, shell is producing ethanol - a biofuel made from renewable sugarcane. >>a minute, mom! let's broaden the world's energy mix. let's go. prego?! but i've bought ragu for years. [ thinking ] wonder what other questionable choices i've made? i choose date number 2! whooo! [ sigh of relief ] [ male announcer ] choose taste. choose prego.

well, welcome back to "early today." forecastwise across the country, the big story is the poor people that got nailed by hurricane sandy are today dealing with a nor'easter. a lot of airports will be closed. we'll see more damage from

waves, wind and a storm surge expected at high tide this afternoon. lem take you to the west coast and show you what the forecast looks like today. not bad. temperatures are a little cooler in l.a. still very warm in phoenix. we'll watch a big change as we go throughout the next couple days don't get used to this nice weather. we're going to watch especially in the northern rockies dealing with a significant snowstorm, especially in montana through the next 48 hours. storm any from the east to stormy in the west. back to the big story of the morning. we know many of you may not have been awake to hear president obama and governor romney's moving remarks early this morning. here is a portion of president obama's victory speech for you. >> i believe we can keep the promise of our founder, the idea that if you're willing to work hard, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love, it doesn't matter whether you're black or white, or hispanic or asian, or native american, or young or old, or

rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in america if you're willing to try. i believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggest. we're not as cynical as the pundits believe. we are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. we are and forever will be the united states of america. and together with your help and god's grace we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on earth. >> and now to governor romney thanking supporters and his running mate, congressman paul ryan, during a gracious concession speech. >> like so many of you, paul and i have left everything on the field. we have given our all to this campaign.

i so wish, i so wish that i had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction, but the nation chose another leader and so ann and i join with you to earnestly pray for him and for this great nation. thank you and god bless america. i'm lynn berry. this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

we do have interesting numbers on the amount of cash spent on this president election. it was the most expensive in history. overall nearly a billion dollars were spent by the campaigns and outside groups or super pacs since the presidential campaign began in earnest in march. team romney outspent team obama by a whopping $182 million. the total amount of outside spending for radio and tv ads was also a record $435 million. $370 million of that went towards supporting mitt romney. according to the center for responsive politics, when all expenses are taken into account including mailers, staff and you timts, that total number will top $1 billion.

unreal. so where most of this money was being spent? the swing states, of course. a whopping $197 million in ohio, $192 million in florida and $152 million in virginia. as you can see, ad spending really picked up after the conventions in early september. more than half of all spending, $557 million took place in just the past month and a half alone. let's take a look at some of the newspaper headlines that all of you guy also be waking up to on this historic day. "new york times" front page says "obama's night." tops romney for second term in bruising run. democrats turn back gop bid for senate. today's "wall street journal" headline, "obama wins." lower down on this page it says tough loss leaves gop at a crossroads. "new orleans times-picayne" says "obama triumphs," swing states

catapult president to re-election. the front page of "the tampa tribune" simply says "obama." it goes on to say race still too close to call. we'll be watching that today and all day long you can stay on top of that and the latest developments on those stories and others as they break on msnbc. tonight be sure to watch "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. here is a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. matt, savannah and the nbc news team breaks down this historic election live from democracy plaza. plus results from key senate states and races, and a look at how wall street could react to the president's victory. and now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good one.